Visiting Hilo, United States: Top Sights on Foot

The best things to do in Hilo include exploring historic theatres, museums, churches, civic spaces, and places connected with Hawaiian culture, science, and the natural world. Hilo’s downtown and surrounding area offer a varied introduction to the history of Hawaiʻi Island, from tsunami heritage and Christian missions to astronomy and Japanese religious tradition. Neywo has a free audio guide for Hilo with 9 narrated places, available in 11 languages.

What to See in Hilo

Pacific Tsunami Museum

The Pacific Tsunami Museum preserves the story of tsunamis that affected Hilo and the east coast of Hawaiʻi Island. Its focus includes the Pacific tsunami of April 1, 1946, and the Chilean tsunami of May 23, 1960. Both disasters caused severe destruction along the Big Island’s east coast, particularly in Hilo.

The museum offers a way to understand these powerful natural events while learning how they shaped the city’s history.

Palace Theatre

Built in 1925 in the Beaux-Arts style, the Palace Theatre is one of downtown Hilo’s historic landmarks. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 11, 1993.

After closing as a commercial cinema, the theatre reopened in 1998 as an arthouse venue and performance space. It now hosts films, concerts, and live theatrical productions, giving the historic building a continuing role in Hilo’s cultural life.

Kalākaua Park

Kalākaua Park is Hilo’s central town square. Historic buildings frame the space, while a war memorial adds to its civic character.

A walk around the edges of the park reveals how the surrounding architecture helps define this central gathering place in the town.

Haili Church and the Waiākea Mission Station

Haili Church is the latest structure associated with the Waiākea Mission Station, also known as the Hilo Station. The station was the first Christian mission established on the eastern side of Hawaiʻi Island.

Today, Haili Church belongs to the United Church of Christ. Its history connects the present-day church with an important beginning for Christian mission work in eastern Hawaiʻi.

Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Hilo

Saint Joseph Catholic Church is part of Saint Joseph Parish, which belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu. The parish also includes Saint Joseph School and the Saint Joseph Library.

The church therefore forms part of a wider religious and community institution in Hilo, rather than standing as an isolated building.

Lyman House Memorial Museum

The Lyman House Memorial Museum combines natural history with one of Hawaiʻi Island’s oldest surviving buildings. The institution was founded in 1931, and its main collections are displayed in a modern building constructed in the 1960s.

Beside it stands the historic Lyman family mission house. Built in 1838 as the family’s home and mission house, it became part of the museum in 1931 and remains open for tours. It is the oldest surviving wood-framed building on the island of Hawaiʻi, giving the museum a direct connection with Hilo’s early history.

Hilo Daijingu Shrine

Hilo Daijingu, also known as Hilo Daijingu Shrine, brings Japanese religious tradition into Hilo’s cultural landscape. The shrine was formerly called Yamato Shrine.

It is described as having the oldest history of any shrine outside Japan and as the island’s general guardian shrine, making it a distinctive place to see while exploring Hilo.

ʻImiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaiʻi

At ʻImiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaiʻi, astronomy and Hawaiian culture meet. The name ʻImiloa means “exploring new knowledge” in Hawaiian, and the center explores both the universe and the Polynesian voyages across the Pacific.

The building itself reflects this theme. Its three large titanium-clad cones represent Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Hualālai. The surrounding gardens contain native and endemic plants, as well as canoe plants brought by Polynesians.

Inside, the 120-seat planetarium uses full-dome video projection. Its signature presentation, “Maunakea: Between Earth and Sky,” explores the relationship between the mountain, astronomy, and Hawaiian culture. Other programs cover the early history of space exploration, including the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States. “Dawn of the Space Age 3D” is described as the only 3D planetarium show in the world.

Kaūmana Caves County Park

Kaūmana Caves County Park lies in Hawaiʻi County, about 301 metres above sea level and around 6.3 kilometres from Hilo.

The park adds a natural setting to a Hilo itinerary and extends the city’s story beyond its downtown museums, churches, and historic buildings.

More Places to Explore in the United States

Hilo is part of the United States, with a character shaped by Hawaiʻi Island’s history, culture, and landscapes. If your trip also includes Oʻahu, you can continue exploring with our guide to Honolulu.

Explore Hilo with Neywo

Neywo’s free audio guide turns your visit into a self-guided walking tour. Hilo has one walking route: “Downtown Hilo: Tsunamis, Missions and a Beaux-Arts Theatre.” It covers 4.24 km, takes approximately 102 minutes, and includes 7 narrated stops: the Pacific Tsunami Museum, Palace Theatre, Kalākaua Park, Waiākea Mission Station–Hilo Station, Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Hilo, Lyman House Memorial Museum, and ʻImiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaiʻi.

The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Download Neywo and explore Hilo while the city’s history unfolds around you.